The Abilene Reporter-News, Abilene, Texas, 22 Feb 1953, Page 11Mrs. Lucy Russell...oil helps incomeOil Royalty Checks Are Help South Taylor Woman AssertsBy LILLIAN HURDReporter-News CorrespondentTUSCOLA, Feb. 21 -One 13th of one eighth percent doesn't sound like very much of anything, but in oil royalties it can mean a great deal. To Mrs. Lucy Russell of Tuscola it was like "finding dollar in a pig's track" when she got her first oil check, as she never expected to profit from the small amount of mineral rights reserved when the estate of her !ate pioneer parents was sold.From one producing oil well on the property, Mrs. Russell and other heirs are getting a fair monthly income, much better than an old age pension, and more wells are in prospect. The land, now owned by Ed Grnham of Abilene, is about 15 miles south of View and west of Buttertield highway. Judge J. R. Black of Abilene owns the land joining the Graham property and the two men are brothers-in-law.

Did Not Know OilWhen the late Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Booth came west by covered wagon back in 1904 and bought 480 acres of ranch land west of Lake Abilene community, the only thing they knew about oil was that axle grease used in the hub of their wagon wheels was made from crude oil. They never dreamed that Taylor County would someday be dotted with oil wells from one side to the other from north to south.A nephew of the pioneer settlers, John Atkins of Guion community south of Ovalo, said that his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. G. T. Atkins came to Taylor county in 1900 and bought ranch land west of Lake Abilene area. When the Booth family decided to come west, Atkins went back to Erath county to help move the family. With a covered wagon train carrying the family and their household goods, Atkins and other menfolk of the family rode horseback and drove 50 head of cattle to the new location in the west. Going first to Big Spring, the Booth family soon came back to Taylor county, "where they had stopped and looked around a bit", enroute to Big Spring.With twelve brood mares besides the cattle, the Booths were looking for good grazing land and they found it on the ranch they bought. For many years they lived on the land and raised saddle horses and cattle. "Not many oldtimers in Taylor county that had not ridden a stock horse raised on the Booth ranch", Atkins said. Sheep and goats were unheard of in this area then and cattlemen hated them, he stated. Atkins, who is constable of the Guion precinct, where the family lives, has watched the changing times in the county with interest during his 53 years as a citizen. No mineral rights were reserved when his parents estate was sold.

Good Old DaysMrs. Russell recalled the good times the neighbors had back in the early days of Taylor county when people had time to visit each other and to have weekly comnunity gatherings at the old Elm Grove schoothouse, Mrs. Russell, her cousins, and a large number of other children in the neighborhood learned their three R-s in the old one-room schoolhouse, and also went to church and Sunday school in the building. She staled the cominunity was thickly populated at that time and every community meet was well attended. The 'literary society programs", presenting local talent, and spelling bees made up special entertainment. "Some of the best singers in the county and many of the best fiddlers, lived in the community," Mrs. Russell said.Inkum Post OfficeThe nearest postoffice was Inkum, still remembered as a gathering place for the settlers when the mail came through by stagecoach. Names of some of the pioneers recalled by Mrs. Russell and Atkins are the Youngs, still residents of the area, the Andersons, Pruitts, Kings, Knights, Perrys, Hallmarks and Sirathers, who have long since died or moved to other areas.Mrs. Russell had four brothers and sisters. Living are Mrs. Emma Smith, Snyder; Armour Booth of Welch. Children of the deceased will share in the benefits of the oil royalties. The Booth children are among the few-heirs of pioneer settlers reserving oil royalies, in Taylor County.

Mrs. Russell's husband is T. A. Russell, an oil driller, now employed at Lubbock. They own 160 acres of land two miles northwest of Tuscola where the family home is located. The couple has two sons, Thad Jr., student at Texas Technological "College" at Lubbock and soon to enroll at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Jack is a student at South Taylor high school at Tuscola, High were star football players at South Taylor last year.

Other than Nat Laramore, I have no burial locations for members of this group. If someone can send me the locations, I can set up a Find A Grave memorial and link family members.

In addition to burial locations, I'd like to find obits, which can provide so much information about a person and their family.

Also, for the Russell marriage, I'm missing the date and place the event occurred.

So if there's a Booth researcher out there with the info, I have bunches of Booth info to trade.